Catering to the budget conscious, WalletHub focused on cities where being a "foodie" doesn't drain your wallet and dining at home is as popular as dining out; Bridgeport and New Haven made the cut. Though, within the list of 180 cheapest cities, Bridgeport ranks as the second most expensive city to buy groceries.

"Dining in can be comparatively more cost-effective — not to mention equally satisfying to the taste buds — but only to the extent that grocery-store prices have declined. Eating at home still can be pricey, depending on the local cost of living as well as the type and quality of ingredients used in preparing homemade meals," the site writes.

According to the National Restaurant Association, 2015 was the first time that restaurant sales exceeded grocery sales.

To determine the best and cheapest foodie scenes, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 24 key indicators of foodie-friendliness: cost of groceries, affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants and food festivals per capita.